50 Shades of Drake 3 and 4

Chapter Twenty-Four

    Lesson of the day: it took more than a funny movie to get your mind off of someone you loved with all of your heart. Sure, there were moments when Destiny found herself drifting into the storyline or swayed by a comedy bit. The actors truly were talented, but it was impossible to silence her thoughts, worries, and fears.

    Meanwhile, she felt Brian's eyes on her throughout the movie. It seemed that his eyes were on her more than on the ridiculously large flat screen television he had mounted to the living room wall. After the movie ended, she stood up from the couch.

    "We should watch one more," Brian suggested.

    "I can barely even focus on the plot," she told him. "I have too much on my mind."

    "Then maybe we should just...talk."

    She stared at him, weighing her options. The thoughts that were floating around in her head, she would love to get them out. Vent. Lean on someone for support. Get some kind of comfort. But at the same time, this was Brian. This was a man who'd confessed to having feelings for her. Wouldn't it be selfish of her to talk to him about how much she would miss Aubrey?

    He studied her and gave her a sad smile. "Whatever it is you want to talk about...whoever it is you want to talk about...it's okay. I can handle it."

    With her eyes still on him, she lowered back down onto the couch.

    "Before we get into this, though, I'm going to grab a glass of wine," he said, swiveling his body around in the chair and getting to his feet. "Did you want one?"

    Tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear, she replied, "That sounds nice, actually."

    He left the room and when he returned, he was holding a bottle and two glasses.

    She watched him approach the coffee table. Then she wrapped the blanket around herself again and waited for him to open the bottle and pour her a glass.

    "So...whenever you're ready to talk," he said as he poured pale dessert wine into a crystal wine glass.

    "I don't even know where to start," she said honestly.

    "Start wherever you feel like starting," he said, picking up a coaster and sliding it towards her. As he placed her designated wine glass on top of the coaster, he added, "We can start with what's going through your mind."

    She nodded and pulled the blanket tighter around herself. "All I can think about is how much I'm going to miss him. And worry about him."

    "That's to be expected," Brian advised. "He was a big part of your life until recently."

    "He still is," she corrected him.

    He dropped his gaze. "Right. Right, I didn't mean...I meant..." Clearing his throat, he poured a glass of wine for himself. "I didn't mean to imply that he still wasn't important to you. I just meant that up until recently, you lived with him and you worked with him a lot more closely than any other entry-level representative at the company. You saw him a lot throughout the day, until recently."

    "Oh. You're right, yeah." She lifted her glass and took a sip of wine. The liquid was sweet on her tongue.

    "When you live with someone, and work with them, your life tends to revolve around them a little bit," Brian went on. "To have them suddenly pulled out of your life is a bit of a shock. You get so used to having them around, and when they're suddenly not there..." He shrugged his shoulders. "It's kind of harsh."

    She narrowed her eyes at him. "You sound like you're speaking from experience."

    He met her gaze head-on. "That's because I am."